NFV is to use a virtualization technology in the evolving information technology (IT) field to uniformly implement many types of network devices on high-capacity servers, switches, and storage devices that are compliant with an industry standard, so as to change a manner in which a network operator constructs and operates a network and a network service (NS). NFV implements network functions using software that can run on a series of hardware servers that is compliant with the industry standard, so as to change a network architecture. In addition, the software can be dynamically moved to or instantiated in different locations on a network as required, and no new device needs to be installed, and therefore, network operation is also changed.
NFV enables a function of a network to be independent of special-purpose hardware by means of decoupling between software and hardware and function abstraction. In this way, resources can be shared fully and flexibly, a new service can be quickly developed and deployed, and based on actual service requirements, capabilities such as automatic deployment, auto scaling, and fault isolation and self-healing can be implemented for an application.
When an application in NFV needs to be upgraded, an upgrade sequence and procedure generally cannot be arranged flexibly, and an upgrade process is completed manually for lack of an automated procedure.